The Conservative Cave
Current Events => The DUmpster => Topic started by: franksolich on March 12, 2011, 10:05:33 AM
-
Over time--about the past three years--I've noticed that there's some really good campfires from Skins's island that are brought over here, but scarcely read.....while there's some really crummy campfires from Skins's island (nearly all of which are franksolich's) that are brought over here, and heavily read.
As with newspapers, the headline--the thread title--is very important.
Unlike, for example, the Breaking News forum here, where thread titles are supposed to correspond exactly with the article title from the link (a very sensible rule), the DUmpster has no such rule; one can play free-and-easy with headlines, or thread titles, so as to attract readers.
Our esteemed colleague GOBUCKS recently gave us an excellent example.
He brought over a campfire "DUmmies Discuss Nuclear Power Technology".
Ho-hum many readers think; more science stuff that's over my head......
(Or at least that's what franksolich thinks.)
However.
However.
However.
GOBUCKS had something else to the title, " - Las Vegas Leviathan Surfaces."
"DUmmies Discuss Nuclear Power Technology - Las Vegas Leviathan Surfaces".
That headline drew like a magnet.
There's some in the DUmpster who are interested in what the primitives think about science, and there's some who are interested in the weight-losing progress of the gigantic primitive. This headline attracted just about everybody who's in the DUmpster, the science experts and the ones concerned about the gigantic primitive.
As I mentioned, one is free, utterly free, to play fast-and-loose with thread titles in the DUmpster (especially if it cloaks the primitives' constant use of vulgar language).
Putting the subway car or my fellow alum Skins, for example, into the title is a guaranteed eye-grabber.
So when contriving thread titles (for the DUmpster and DUmping Ground only; other forums here have other rules), let the creative juices flow, folks; it's all good.
-
We just had another great example of great headline writing, especially as it pertains to primitives lurking here.
Freeper was the brains behind this one.
"Democrat Phelps causing trouble again."
The primitive who lit the bonfire had not used the first word in the title Freeper gave it here.
Skillfully created headlines not only entertain, but illuminate or remind.
-
Absolutely right, Frank. It's part of the fun of bringing a fire over. The phrases that especially draw me in include "Heads Asplode," "Hilarity Ensues," "Suicide-Run Goodness," and "Bouncy Tale Gone Awry."
-
Absolutely right, Frank. It's part of the fun of bringing a fire over. The phrases that especially draw me in include "Heads Asplode," "Hilarity Ensues," "Suicide-Run Goodness," and "Bouncy Tale Gone Awry."
And, since I don't have time to read all of them, I like it when people put the name of the OP in the subject line. Some people are just more fun than others.
-
And, since I don't have time to read all of them, I like it when people put the name of the OP in the subject line. Some people are just more fun than others.
We've been going back & forth on Frank's idea for years, both here and at the other place. I'm all for marketing, so I try to include a custom headline unless the original DUmmy thread title is just too priceless to change. And I'll try to put the thread starter's name in there especially if they are a particularly noteworthy DUmmy.
-
I try to put the DU headline into the title, a few times I embellished it but I wasn't sure if we should embellish so I stuck to the basics, but I think it's a great idea to dress up the titles.
-
This ancient thread resurrected per request. I think this is the one referred to.
-
I do try.
My titles are for the lurking DUmmies. I'm trying to grab their interest. I offer no substance in the main body though.
Mostly everything I write has a goal of offending the lurkers. Unfortunately, it also offends some of the sympathetic sob sisters.
-
Just for that, I'm going to title all of mine "Read This."
.
-
Ancient thread, but worth reviving as a reminder.
-
Recent example: there was a thread here, "No DUmmy love for 0bamacare," which moved only sluggishly.
I added "(Atman chimes in)," and it drew.
Headlines make a difference.
-
I'm with Karin's comment from 2011. A lot of the fun in rowing a thread back over is title selection.
Sometimes, I do get in a rush to just make the thread live, so I can read what the good people here have to say. Afterwards, I've almost always regretted doing that, and usually leave the title as-is.